Parallax (episode)
:You may also be looking for Parallax colony. Investigating an apparent distress call, Voyager becomes trapped inside the event horizon of a quantum singularity. Summary Teaser In sickbay, Lieutenant Carey is being treated by The Doctor after getting into a conflict over the power grid with B'Elanna Torres. He is extremely furious with Torres, telling Chakotay and Tuvok that he wants her kept away from engineering. The two officers leave sickbay and discuss the situation in the corridor. A difference in opinion occurs when Tuvok wants Torres confined to the brig, while Chakotay prefers to deal with her on his own. Chakotay is able to persuade Tuvok to let him deal with Torres and enters a turbolift alone. While proceeding to Torres' quarters, Chakotay passes Crewman Jarvin and Ensign Seska, who let him know that they support him in any way possible if it comes to it. Chakotay is furious hearing this and threatens to personally throw them in the brig for mutiny if he hears that again. Anger overwhelms Torres when Chakotay enters her quarters, and she throws a plate at him which misses. He hands her a PADD containing information on Joe Carey's medical status, and Torres mentions how much Carey irritates her. Chakotay tries to coax Torres into apologizing to Carey and getting to know him, but Torres dismisses his attempts. Chakotay then tells her that she could use the help and support of people like Carey if she wants to be the next chief engineer. Torres is suspicious about this, pointing out that Carey is next in line. But Chakotay tells her that she is the better engineer. He moves to leave her quarters, and Torres asks about what Captain Janeway thinks of the situation; Chakotay tells her that he hasn't told her yet. Act One :"Captain's log, stardate 48439.7. As we maintain a course back to the Alpha Quadrant, we're conducting what would normally be routine maintenance to the ship. Routine, that is, if we had access to a starbase." In the briefing room, the senior staff are discussing the situation of the power and personnel shortage, as Neelix and Kes invite themselves to the meeting. Given the energy shortage and problems with the replicators, Kes recommends converting cargo bay 2 into a hydroponics lab so they can grow their own vegetables. Janeway agrees. Chakotay and Janeway then discuss the open chief engineer's position, for which Chakotay recommends Torres. Janeway is irritated, wondering that after all the complaints she has heard about Torres, just about what job it is that Chakotay thinks she can do. He assures her that she is an excellent engineer and could do the job. Somewhat taken aback Janeway then brings up the topic of medical staff, which leads to Tom Paris becoming a field medic due to having taken biochemistry in Starfleet Academy. The staff briefing is interrupted when Voyager shakes; they all proceed to the bridge. On the bridge, Seska reports that Voyager has encountered a spatial disturbance which is actually a Type-4 quantum singularity. A ship is caught near the event horizon and sends a transmission to Voyager. The message is erratic and cannot be understood. Voyager sends a transmission back, but there's no response. Janeway inquires about a tractor beam, but the subspace interference is too heavy. Chakotay contacts engineering and asks Torres, who recommends remodulating a tractor beam to match the subspace interference. Janeway, who is upset at Chakotay contacting Torres directly rather consulting the senior officer in charge, interrupts Chakotay and puts Carey in charge. She then asks Chakotay to see her in her ready room. In the ready room, Janeway and Chakotay begin an argument over duty and protocol on Voyager. Janeway tells him that his behavior on the bridge was unacceptable. Chakotay states that he contacted Torres because he felt that she would give him a quicker answer. He explains that if she received a senior position and that if in general the former Maquis crew members were granted more responsibility, they would finally become more loyal. Janeway argues that Chakotay needs to stop seeing them as his crew. But Chakotay argues that he treats them like his own people because if he wasn't looking out for them no one else would. Before leaving, he asks Janeway to talk to Torres and get to know her. Act Two Kes enters sickbay to retrieve some nitrogenated soil for her hydroponics lab. The Doctor begins commenting on how he is going to be used for every minor medical problem that's going to occur. Kes notices The Doctor's sensitivity in his behavior, but also notices that he appears shorter. The Doctor performs a diagnostic on his imaging processor and discovers he has decreased in height by 10.4 centimeters. He contacts Harry Kim and asks for assistance, but he's too busy. Before Kes leaves with her soil samples, she inquires if The Doctor has chosen a name, which he has not. She deactivates his program and leaves. The subspace tractor beam has been completed and is used. The beam is able to penetrate the singularity's event horizon, but the new power relays installed begin to fail. Voyager is jolted and begins to be pulled into the singularity. Full reverse is engaged, but the tractor beam cannot be disabled causing massive hull stress. Janeway orders the impulse engines disengaged and Voyager begins moving forward again. She then orders the tractor beam disengaged, at which Carey cuts the power feed manually. The tractor beam is disengaged. In need of help, Janeway orders setting a course for the Ilidaria system, full impulse. Janeway decides to follow Chakotay's suggestion to talk with Torres and invites her to her ready room. She tries to bond with Torres by talking to her about her past, especially with Starfleet Academy. Torres then notes that she didn't like Starfleet's system and leaves saying that she didn't want anything to do with Starfleet then, and that she is sorry that she has to now. After Torres leaves, The Doctor contacts Janeway (monitor input 47) and notifies her of the error in his imaging system. He also tells her that nine crewmembers had reported in with severe headaches, muscle spasms, sudden waves of dizziness all possibly related to the quantum singularity. The ship jolts and Janeway returns to the bridge while leaving the channel to The Doctor open. Voyager has found another type-4 quantum singularity with all the same properties as the one earlier. Reports indicate that Voyager is back to the same position as before, and that it is the same quantum singularity. Act Three Voyager is turned around and warp is engaged. At twelve million kilometers from the singularity, it appears in front of them again. All departments are ordered to submit reports and a staff meeting is planned; both Carey and Torres are present. Carey submits the news of the briefing to Torres, but tells her that he speaks for Engineering, which prompts Seska to note Torres should've broken more than his nose. In the corridor, Tuvok and Kim discuss the singularity situation. Kim changes the subject and inquires about the conflict in Engineering, noting that he heard Starfleet and Maquis were at each other's throats. Kim all of a sudden collapses and Tuvok helps him up to escort him to sickbay. During the staff briefing The Doctor reports that 27 other crewmembers were encountering the symptoms he mentioned earlier (Kim is one of these). He has no idea what's going on and cannot provide a treatment. The shrinking is still occurring; at this point he has lost 68 centimeters of height. The staff moves onto the subject of the singularity, for which no progress has been made. However, using the problem with The Doctor's imaging system, Torres is able to determine that she could use a localized dampening field around the external sensors to contact the other ship. Janeway agrees with this idea and dismisses the staff to begin work. The deflector dish is modified and the dampening field is deployed. They receive the transmission from the ship again. It is cleared up – it is the same message Janeway transmitted earlier. The ship is the Voyager. Act Four Torres has an explanation for this, so the staff returns to the briefing room. Torres uses a reflection in water as an example of the current situation, except that what the Voyager's crew is viewing is a time-delayed image of themselves. They estimate it would take nine hours until Voyager was destroyed by the singularity, so Torres recommends that they find a 'crack' to escape. Remembering back to when they first entered, Janeway and Torres think that Voyager made a hole in the singularity and they would need to find the hole they made. Finishing each other's sentences, "warp particles" is the idea developed by Torres and Janeway; it would make the crack visible and Voyager could fly out. The crew return to the bridge to implement the new plan. The deflector dish is deactivated and warp particles are routed to the deflector. The particles are deployed and Paris locates an irregularity in the event horizon. The hole is too small, so they would have to expand it. Torres recommends to use a dekyon beam to expand the hole. Voyager is too far to emit the beam, so a shuttlecraft has to be used. With their understanding of the 'finer points' of temporal mechanics, Janeway and Torres both board the shuttle and leave Voyager. On the shuttlecraft, the dekyon beam is prepared. Torres decides to use this moment to apologize about her earlier behavior and also notes that she left the Academy because she felt she couldn't make it in Starfleet. Janeway notes that Professor Chapman thought Torres was a promising cadet and that he mentioned that he would support her re-entry if she decided to. Torres is surprised to hear that because she always felt that Chapman hated and couldnt wait to see her kicked out. But Janeway responds by stating that some Professors like students who challenge their assumptions. The shuttle arrives and the dekyon beam is charged. They get close enough and fire the beam, and the hole begins to grow larger. The hole reaches a 65% increase in growth as the shuttle starts to lose power. They turn around and return to find two Voyager''s. Guessing, Janeway chooses the starboard ''Voyager while Torres chooses port. Janeway notes to Torres that the port one is moving towards the rift, which the real Voyager did twenty minutes prior. They land in the starboard ship's shuttlebay, discovering it is indeed the real one. Voyager begins to move towards the rift, which is slowly closing. The rift length reaches 110 meters, which is too small. Janeway orders full power to the impulse engines as they approach the rift. Shields fail and the port impulse engines lose power. Despite the problems, Voyager is able to punch its way out and clears the singularity. In engineering, Chakotay notifies Torres that she has earned the position of chief engineer. Her first duty is to bring the warp drive online by 1300 hours. She orders some officers to work, but they don't respond until she says "Please". Torres confronts Carey and asks for his help in becoming the new chief engineer. He gladly accepts, stating that she will never get anything but his best, and they both shake hands. Meanwhile, Janeway is observing Torres and the staff as Chakotay joins her. Two crewmembers have already filed complaints on Torres' promotion, Janeway notes, but she has a feeling that adversities will subside soon. Memorable Quotes "I didn't even come close to hitting him that hard." "So on the one side, I'm facing a Vulcan who wants court martial you. And on the other, I'm facing all the Maquis who are ready to seize this ship over this. You've turned this into one lousy day for me, Torres!" : - B'Elanna Torres and Chakotay "Engine efficiency is down another fourteen percent. If we don't get more power to the warp drive, we're all going to have to get out and push." : - Tom Paris "Lieutenant, I understand you studied biochemistry at the Academy?" "Uh, only two semesters." "Close enough. You've just volunteered to be a field medic. Report to the Doctor as soon as we're finished here." "But, Captain!" : - Kathryn Janeway and Tom Paris "If I ever hear you talk that way again, I'll personally throw you in the brig for mutiny!" : - Chakotay, to Jarvin and Seska "I've made a list of several Maquis candidates who would make good officers." "B'Elanna Torres? She was the one involved in that incident with Mr. Carey?" "That's right." "Just what job do you think she's suited for?" "Chief engineer." "You're serious?" "Very." "Regarding sickbay..." : - Chakotay and Janeway "Now I know how Hippocrates felt when the King needed him to trim a hangnail." : - The Doctor "I've never found your twisted sense of humor very funny, Chakotay." : - B'Elanna Torres "She struck a fellow officer. That is a court martial offense." "She's a Maquis and in the Maquis sometimes you have to push people out of your way to get things done." : - Tuvok and Chakotay, on B'Elanna Torres "I will never cease to be amazed at the Human capacity for hyperbole." : - Tuvok "Mr. Paris is about to impress us with his piloting skills." : - Chakotay "Wait a minute, wait. Wait a minute. Let me get this straight. We were cruising along at warp seven. Then, we picked up a distress call and moved in to investigate. But now, you're saying that the other ship is actually just a reflection of us and that the distress call is actually just the Captain's opening hail. But we picked up the distress call ''before she sent the hail. How could we have been seeing a reflection of something we hadn't even done yet? Am I making any sense here?" "''No, but that's OK." : - Tom Paris and Kathryn Janeway "This isn't another singularity... it's the same one!" : - Tom Paris "She's the best engineer I've ever known. She could teach at the Academy! You're right, Captain, I do consider these to be my people because nobody else on this ship will look out for them like I will. And I'm telling you: you're going to have to give them more authority if you want their loyalty." "Theirs or yours, Commander?" : - Chakotay and Kathryn Janeway "I have no intention of being your token Maquis officer!" : - Chakotay "In command school, they taught us to always remember that maneuvering a starship is a very delicate process, but over the years I've learned that sometimes you just have to punch your way through. Mr. Paris, full impulse power." : - Kathryn Janeway "Sometimes you just have to punch your way through' - I'll have to remember that one.''" : - '''Tom Paris "Can I ask you a question, off the record? If things had happened differently, and we were on the Maquis ship now instead of Voyager, would you have served under me?" "One of the nice things about being Captain is that you can keep some things to yourself." : - Chakotay and Janeway Background Information *Originally, B'Elanna Torres was to be promoted to chief engineer in . Time constraints prevented this and the idea was transfered to this episode. *Seska appears for the first time in this episode. She is wearing a blue uniform from the science department but is sitting at the engineering station on the bridge. In later episodes she will appear in a yellow operations uniform. *Still finding their footing in the series, Tom Paris exclaims "It's the Voyager" instead of "It's Voyager" (without the definitive article). *This is the first appearance of a Type 8 shuttlecraft (specifically the Tereshkova) and Voyager s shuttlebay. *At the 2009 DragonCon, Garrett Wang recalled that director Kim Friedman sent the cast of Voyager a video tape and a letter shortly before "Parallax" was to begin shooting. The letter advised the cast to practice shaking before filming. Friedman had included clips on the video tape of the Deep Space Nine episodes she had directed, where she felt the cast had perfected the shaking she wanted. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTeCcYLaGIA&feature=related *This episode is a bottle show. *When Janeway and Torres are returning from their shuttle trip and are faced both Voyager''s, Janeway says she is getting identical readings from both ships. However, since she and B'Elanna (obviously from the real ship) are not on board ''Voyager at the time, the real ship should have a personnel count of two less than the reflection. Video and DVD releases *UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 1.2, catalogue number VHR 4002, . *As part of the VOY Season 1 DVD collection. Links and References Main Cast *Kate Mulgrew as Captain Kathryn Janeway *Robert Beltran as Commander Chakotay *Roxann Biggs-Dawson as Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres *Jennifer Lien as Kes *Robert Duncan McNeill as Lieutenant Tom Paris *Ethan Phillips as Neelix *Robert Picardo as The Doctor *Tim Russ as Lieutenant Tuvok *Garrett Wang as Ensign Harry Kim Guest Stars *Martha Hackett as Seska *Josh Clark as Lieutenant Joe Carey Co-Star *Justin Williams as Jarvin Uncredited Co-Stars *Tarik Ergin as Ayala *Kerry Hoyt as Crewman Fitzpatrick *Julie Jiang as an operations division lieutenant j.g. *Dennis Madalone as a science division officer *Coleman McClary as a Starfleet engineer *Jerry Quinn as command division officer *Simon Stotler as an operations division ensign *John Tampoya as Crewman Kashimuro Nozawa References 47, assault; astrogation; astrogation plotter, biochemistry, black hole, cargo bay, chief engineer, chief medical officer, Deep Space 9, dekyon, distress call, Emergency Medical Hologram, ethmoid fossa, event horizon, Feragoit goulash, field medic; gravimetric flux density; holodeck, Holodeck reactor; Hippocrates, hull stress, hydroponics, Ilidaria, Keloda, Maquis; medical practitioner; nitrogen, nitrogenated soil, pejuta, quantum singularity, Starfleet General Orders and Regulations, subspace tractor beam, transporter chief, type-8 shuttlecraft, ''Val Jean'', ''Voyager'', USS External links * Parallax at StarTrek.com |next= }} cs:Parallax de:Die Parallaxe es:Parallax fr:Parallax nl:Parallax Category:VOY episodes